When four mooncakes remained in the box, Mo Zi spoke. Her first words startled everyone.
“This game—Administrator Huang is going to lose,” she said.
Liu Ning and the other eunuch exchanged glances and both shook their heads, thinking this girl wasn’t as clever as all that. Even if she didn’t know the emperor’s identity, hadn’t it been said he was Administrator Yuan’s superior? She should have spoken favorably.
“Administrator Huang,” though he hoped people would speak the truth, hearing it for real made him unconvinced, and he retorted, “That’s not necessarily so. Administrator Yuan and I are evenly matched in chess skills—otherwise we wouldn’t have been playing for a full day and night.”
A full day and night? That meant they’d started yesterday?
Mo Zi glanced at Yuan Cheng. That gentleman was breaking open a mooncake and examining it closely, as if extremely interested.
Could it be—not a closed-door rejection, but he really had a guest?
Before the emperor, Mo Zi couldn’t very well ask, only continuing, “No, Administrator Huang will definitely lose this game.”
This time, even Yuan Cheng looked up at her.
Mo Zi remained unhurried. “Looking at the board, the white and black pieces are indeed evenly matched, but today is the auspicious Mid-Autumn Festival. Administrator Huang, you came to Administrator Yuan’s estate as a guest, and you’re also his superior. As the saying goes, guests follow the host’s lead, and superiors cover for subordinates. Seeing you chatting so energetically with a mere maid like me, your mind clearly isn’t on the game at all—you obviously intend to deliberately let Administrator Yuan win. This shows your generosity and magnanimity, unlike some people who refuse to give any quarter no matter who their opponent is.”
“Administrator Huang” laughed heartily again. “Right, right, your neighbor is exactly like that. He thinks half the day over each move, calculating this and calculating that—where does he put me in his eyes? Playing one game for so long—I’ve truly never tried that before. But he’s good at not letting people leave. If it weren’t for no morning court today—” He almost let it slip and cleared his throat twice. “I would have been scolded by the emperor. However, as you said, my mind is no longer on this game. Winning or losing doesn’t matter.”
“Then—” Yuan Cheng seized the opportunity to say, “Why don’t you let this subordinate win this game, Administrator? Otherwise, I’ll play even more slowly, dragging it out until tomorrow, causing the emperor to send someone to find you for morning court.”
Yuan Cheng could be thick-skinned and shameless too? Mo Zi raised both eyebrows. Truly, if you don’t look you won’t know, but one look reveals the bearing of a corrupt official and treacherous minister.
But “Administrator Huang” clearly took to Yuan Cheng’s approach, his laughter continuous, saying “good” several times. “I’ll let you win, lest I be unable to attend morning court tomorrow.”
One couldn’t exactly call the Great Zhou emperor incompetent—actually, this emperor had quite a good reputation. One could only say that pleasant words depended on who spoke them, and shameless behavior depended on who was shameless. First there was Yuan Cheng playing chess seriously, unlike others who were perfunctory, then there was Mo Zi climbing the wall to deliver mooncakes with her clever words, which greatly pleased the emperor’s dragon heart, making him generously accept a loss.
The two eunuchs, hearing the emperor finally stop being so serious, immediately felt relieved. Although the emperor was in good health, he was of a certain age after all—staying up all night wasn’t really ideal.
Thus, the chess players hastily concluded their match.
“Would you like to take a short rest at my estate, Administrator?” As soon as the game finished, Yuan Cheng stood beside “Administrator Huang.”
“No, I’ll go back to catch up on sleep.” “Administrator Huang” also stood up, stroking his forehead. “Time spares no one. Back in the day, when I played chess with your father, it was also for a day and night, but it was your father who got tired, constantly complaining of a heavy head and light feet.”
Yuan Cheng’s father held the official position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and had been the current emperor’s teacher when he was young.
“I didn’t expect you still remember things from so many years ago.” Yuan Cheng’s voice deepened slightly as he lowered his eyes, his expression unmoved.
“Once a teacher, never forgotten for life. Your father treated me like a kindred spirit, like his own son. What I gained was far more than just knowledge—I still benefit from it to this day. In my heart, there’s no one else I can call teacher—only your father.” “Administrator Huang’s” mood became somewhat heavy. “Yuan Cheng, you—don’t disappoint me.” His words were ambiguous because he was wary of others being present.
“Yuan Cheng wouldn’t dare.” He bowed deeply.
Huayi suddenly strode over with large steps and knelt on one knee before the people in the pavilion. “Reporting to the Emper—”
“Administrator Huang.” Liu Ning was quick-witted.
Huayi paused, looked up to see Mo Zi also in the pavilion, understood, and immediately corrected himself. “Administrator Huang, Administrator Yuan, General Xiao requests an audience.”
“Which General Xiao?” “Administrator Huang” pointed at the wall against which the ladder leaned. “The family next door has several generals.”
“Young General Xiao Wei.” Huayi answered.
“His information network is quite well-informed.” “Administrator Huang” glanced at Liu Ning. “Did you send word out?”
Liu Ning looked somewhat frightened, his neck shrinking. “Administrator… Huang, you said for urgent matters, to send messages to Administrator Yuan’s place.”
“I said to send messages, but now a person has arrived.” “Administrator Huang” wasn’t angry. “Yuan Cheng, the Xiao family firmly opposed my appointing you. Since you moved back here, they probably haven’t visited you as a neighbor even once, have they?”
“Yuan Cheng carries the burden of guilt. The Xiao family are close ministers to the Son of Heaven. If we associated too closely, it would easily invite criticism. I think it’s actually better not to have contact.” Yuan Cheng thought of Xiao Wei’s resolute face and smiled faintly.
“Carrying the burden of guilt? That’s true.” “Administrator Huang’s” gaze swept over Mo Zi. “Actually, it’s not entirely without contact. At least one maid from the Xiao household has already run over to your home.” He laughed again.
Though Mo Zi’s identity had been exposed before Xiao Er, she absolutely didn’t want Xiao Er to know she came to Yuan Cheng’s place. Otherwise, Xiao Er and Xiao San would probably brick up the walls bordering the Yuan estate to an unclimbable height. You must know, that was the only route out to the wider world for her and Qiu Sanniang.
“Young Master Xiao Er doesn’t know about this. Otherwise, for being so rash, Mo Zi would be punished by her masters.” Mo Zi hastily followed up. “Administrator Huang, you’re kind-hearted—please don’t mention Mo Zi’s wall-climbing.”
“Girl, you’ve misspoken. My heart isn’t very kind, and it’s quite hard. Give me another reason to hear.” “Administrator Huang” strode forward while instructing Huayi to invite Young General Xiao in.
The emperor wouldn’t let her leave, so Mo Zi could only obediently follow. Seeing Yuan Cheng adopt an expression of admiring distant scenery, she knew she couldn’t rely on him. After thinking for quite a while, they had already walked onto the newly built nine-turn corridor.
“Girl…” wanting to remind her that if she didn’t speak soon, she’d run into her own master, but then he saw her kneel on the ground.
Now no one could walk forward.
“Administrator Huang, there’s a saying: when you eat someone’s food, your mouth is shortened.” This was the reason she’d thought of for so long—somewhat throwing caution to the wind. “You just ate my mooncakes.”
Liu Ning’s mouth gaped open. This was outright demanding!
“Administrator Huang” paused slightly then laughed heartily. “Ha ha, Administrator Yuan, this girl is truly interesting. No wonder you erected a ladder. If it were me, I’d erect seven or eight ladders, welcoming her to climb the wall anytime.”
“Administrator Huang.” Mo Zi made a pitiful expression while looking back, afraid of running into Xiao Er.
“If I help you conceal this, can it count as returning the gift for your mooncakes?” “Administrator Huang” had Mo Zi stand up.
Mo Zi lowered her head with a fallen face, thinking this Xiao Er was making her unlucky. Originally, she’d hoped to get a great benefit from the emperor, but now it had turned to bubbles. Because she was unwilling, when she nodded, her face showed bitterness.
“Good, then I’ll help you.” “Administrator Huang” saw Mo Zi’s bitter melon face and was secretly amused but deliberately ignored it.
“Yuan Cheng, you needn’t see me off further. Take this girl to get your return gift.” Since Xiao Wei and Yuan Cheng couldn’t stand each other anyway.
Mo Zi glared with knitted brows and vertical eyes as that crowd escorted the emperor into the distance.
“Stop glaring. No matter how much you glare, it’s useless.” Yuan Cheng turned through an arched door, looked back to see Mo Zi still in place. “Brother Mo needn’t be disappointed. My return gift may not necessarily fail to catch your eye.”
Mo Zi muttered as she stepped through the door. “Administrator Yuan…”
“What did Brother Mo say? Feel free to speak louder—there’s no one else here, you can speak freely.” Yuan Cheng today wore a crow-black wave-patterned blue-embroidered robe, wind in his sleeves, hem fluttering. Just his back alone was pleasing to the eye.
“I said, for Administrator Yuan’s return gift, I don’t have any expectations. Already very good if I don’t end up owing more.” Mo Zi raised her volume, wishing she could shout right in his ear.
“Aren’t you in debt?” He spread his ten fingers with both palms, not turning his head back, his voice laughing. “Ten gold.”
Right, ten gold. Damn that ten gold!
Yuan Cheng pushed open a room door. Inside were a desk, table, the four treasures of the study, and a wall and a half of books.
Mo Zi had just followed in when Ming Nian appeared from who knows where, poured tea for her and Yuan Cheng, then silently withdrew and closed the door behind him.
“Yuan Cheng, I’m not paying that ten gold.” First, she had no gold. Second, she was being shameless. He started it, so naturally she could be shameless with full justification. She took a piece of paper from her pack and slapped it on the table in front of Yuan Cheng. “Reimbursement.”
“Reimbursement?” Another obscure and novel term. Yuan Cheng glanced at the paper, rolled up his sleeves to grind ink, his jade-like hands complementing the inkstone and grinding stone, elegantly making water-smoke-colored circles. Then he lifted his brush, soaked it full, and wrote it out. “These two characters?”
Mo Zi bit her lip and nodded in annoyance, but afraid he’d use not understanding as an excuse not to pay, she explained, “Didn’t you have me do something? I’ve bought all the materials—first cover this amount. As for other expenses, we’ll calculate them after the work is done.”
Yuan Cheng made a sound of acknowledgment but didn’t move. “Brother Mo already knows who that person is, correct?”
Hearing this, Mo Zi’s heart ached for that prematurely deceased return gift. “What use is knowing he’s the emperor?”
“That’s not necessarily so.” Yuan Cheng wasn’t at all surprised, nor did he ask how she figured it out. “I saw he had a good impression of you. I imagine Liu Ning could see it too.”
“Liu Ning?” That eunuch?
“Liu Ning is a fourth-rank Director of Ceremonies, in charge of palace affairs. His jurisdiction is the greatest, and he has the emperor’s trust. It so happens I can also exchange a few words with him.” Yuan Cheng smiled at Mo Zi.
Mo Zi pretended to be blind, ignoring his masculine charm. “So what?”
“Last time at Xu Jiu’s place I saved you, your token of gratitude—” He spread his palm toward her, bringing up old history. “Didn’t you personally come to deliver it yesterday? Hand it over.”
“…” Mo Zi thought to herself, this person gets more arrogant each time, but she needed to rely on him firmly, so she had to endure. “You just ate it into your stomach—turned around and already forgot?”
“The mooncakes weren’t made by you. Though delicious, they can’t count as sincere sentiment.” Yuan Cheng didn’t acknowledge it. “I thought Brother Mo’s sincerity should be more than just this.”
Openly disdaining the small amount—what to do?
No problem, she had prepared for this.